The Start Of A New Tradition
by morvamp
Summary: Elena's ready for new Christmas traditions; ones that no longer involve Stefan. She wrangles Damon into helping her out, but gets more than she bargained for. Written for the A2A Holiday Exchange.


**This fluffy and smutty O/S was prompted by silverfoxpunk and written for the** _**Damon & Elena Holiday (author2author) Exchange 2011.**_

_**Hope you like it!**_

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><p>"Is this really necessary?" Damon groaned from the driver's seat of Sheriff Forbes' Land Rover as its tire twisted angrily over an ice patch.<p>

Considering the roadways were covered in a few feet of snow, it was the best option he and Elena had for making the trip up Mount Rogers. Thankfully, Liz had no problem lending it to them for the day, but even with their all-terrain transportation, Damon was still finding it difficult keeping the vehicle moving forward.

They'd been climbing up the mountain range for a little over three hours now and, up until that point; he'd held back his complaints. Because this was something Elena wanted and everyone knew he was incapable of refusing her. But honestly, it was absurd that she felt it absolutely necessary to cut down their own tree this Christmas instead of picking one from the lot like every other human being.

She released a soft sigh beside him and pointed the air vent, blasting heat at maximum speed, in her direction. Its warmth felt nice as she twisted her head towards him and reasoned, "Of course it is, Damon. After everything we've been through, we deserve a fresh start."

"And how exactly does trekking all the way up here through a foot of snow count as a fresh start?" he questioned. "After this trip, the snow will be the only thing fresh about you."

He was kidding of course; he couldn't imagine an instance where her body didn't smell as fresh as the breeze rolling over the waves on a warm beach, but he frankly couldn't resist the dig.

Naturally, she ignored it and adamantly declared, "Because we're starting a new tradition."

"But couldn't you have started one that required less than half of our day?" he countered. "Christmas caroling would have been a good option, changing the color icing you use on your cookies; hell, I'd even settle for helping you host Christmas dinner at your house this year instead of at the Lockwoods."

She couldn't resist the giggle that left her lips at his bickering. The smile on her face scrunched up her cheeks and squinted her eyes as she reasoned, "I get what you're saying and, yes, maybe I'm being a bit extravagant, but all of my Christmas memories from last year revolve around Stefan."

She then paused slightly as the memory played across her vision. It was a nice one really, but this year she'd decided to look ahead, not at her past. "Right down to picking out our tree from the lot."

Then her eyes flashed up to meet his, there was a hint of a plea behind them that Damon was truly powerless against, as she asked, "So is it so much to ask that I drag you along with me when I switch up my traditions?"

Damon sighed softly, wondering to himself how this girl ever managed to squirm his way into his heart the way she had. "Fine, but only because I'm a pushover," he huffed. "I know you're only using me for my supernatural help."

"No," she refuted with a girlish smile, "I asked you to come along because I wanted this tradition to revolve around you. It's been a hard past few months on us and I thought it would be nice to get away."

"You know, just you and me," she added softly, almost too softly, forcing him to realize how perfectly those two words sounded together when they escaped from her mouth.

"Road trips _have_ always been _our_ thing," he mused, momentarily falling back to the first time Elena chose to save him in Georgia. He couldn't count how many times it had happened since that moment and found it oddly comforting that saving each other had somehow found itself falling under the category of _their _things.

"Yeah," she mused; a soft smile curling the corners of her lips upward. "But I wouldn't mind adding new things to _our_ list."

Damon's mind instantly devised one thing in particular he'd like to add to their list. A vision of his tongue slipping up her sleek legs and between her thighs as she arched upward, against him flashed through his vision. Now that was certainly something he wouldn't mind adding to their list.

Elena noticed his eyes darken immediately before he recomposed himself and suggested, "Like cutting down our very own tree."

"Precisely; glad to see you're understanding my point," she replied in a chipper tone.

It was then Damon saw the turn off for the tree farm up ahead. He urged the vehicle to keep steaming forward and after some tough coercising he managed to make the turn and throw the car into park.

"Well, it looks like were the only ones here," he muttered as he threw the door open and stepped out into the fresh snow. "Figures."

"Oh, stop being such a Grinch!" she chastised through laughs, while imitating his actions.

The cold air hit her face first and immediately seeped through her multiple layers of clothing. She felt the shiver tremble through her and the steam flow from her lips, but couldn't care less. Because her eyes were taking in the most lush landscape she'd ever witness and what was a little cold really, compared to this? "I mean, just look at this place; why would anyone want to buy a tree from the stupid lot when you could pick one out here?"

"Convenience?" he quipped.

She felt the smile pull at the corners of her lips, because it was so typical of Damon to disregard their surroundings. She wished that for just one second, he'd forget about the rest of their lives and constant dangers to appreciate what was in front of them. So, she tried to give him a little shove in the right direction. "But why would anyone choose convenience over beauty?"

Damon snorted and admitted, "The only beautiful thing I see here is you, so we can please get moving and pick out a tree before you get frostbite." His hand landed on her back, guiding her towards the lined crops of evergreens before she stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes were vivid as she turned on him and asked, "Damon Salvatore, did you just call me beautiful?"

_Of course he did._ Individual flakes of snow were falling from the sky above, making everything sparkle on top of the bright layer below. Some had even started to land along her strands of chestnut hair, before disappearing. Her cheeks were flushed a brilliant shade of rose and it was simple for him to decide that she was easily the most breathtaking portion of his surroundings.

A longing swelled up under his rib cage to tell her how radiant she truly looked against the landscape, but he pushed it aside and instead deadpanned, "You're gonna dwell on that instead of picking out a tree, aren't you?"

"No," she refuted, but she was already feeling the warmth of his compliment swirling around in her chest. The color of her cheeks intensified, giving her away, as she admitted almost sheepishly, "I just thought it was sweet."

"And we both know that's not an adjective that can be used to describe me," he joked as they approached the first row of trees.

Elena extended her hand to brush the tips of her fingers down the bristles of a tree. She made sure her eyes focused solely on the action instead of him as she mused, "I'd have to disagree. You can be very sweet when you want to be."

Damon was pretty sure his jaw smashed and buried itself in the snow at his feet. "We are talking about me aren't we?"

"Yes, Damon, we're talking about you," Elena stressed as she maneuvered her way towards another evergreen. "You might not realize it, but ever since this summer, you and I have had some pretty sincere moments. All in which, you've supported me completely. And I think it's fair to say that you've been remarkably sweet throughout all of them."

Damon opened his mouth to speak a typical rebuttal to her description of his actions, but before he had the chance, she proclaimed, "This is the one."

He walked over and positioned himself beside her, only to notice her particular tree was one of the largest in the field. It was easily 9 or 10 feet tall and wouldn't be easy to strap atop Liz's Land Rover, but Elena's eyes were as large as a Disney characters. The slight gap between her lips only enhanced her awestruck expression and he realized there was no possible way he'd be able to pull her this field without that tree.

So he gave in, like he always managed to do around her, and declared, "It's perfect."

"Yeah," she agreed, a bit of awe floating through her voice, "It's definitely our tree."

"Our tree?" Damon questioned as his brows drifted towards the heavens.

Elena shot him a devious grin and smugly asked, "Oh, didn't I tell you, we're keeping it at the boarding house?"

"You most certainly did not," he remarked. "And why are we doing that?"

"Well, because it's obviously too big to fit in my house," she reasoned with nonchalance.

But then there was also the real reason, the whole reason she'd brought him up here. She'd spoken the truth over a month ago when she'd declared they let Stefan go, but only because she'd realized she'd already started releasing her hold on him. Somewhere over those months spent searching for her ex she'd started letting go and holding on to the last person she ever imagined she'd grasp tightly onto; Damon.

He'd become her rock, the one she thought about at night and certainly the one she wanted to start making new traditions with. It was the reason she'd brought him up here in the first place, away from their regular drama and everyone involved. It was just the two of them now, and it was precisely how she wanted it to be; just him and her.

So, through heavy lids she proclaimed, "But more importantly, because I want to be the first thing you think about when you wake up Christmas morning. And when you see this tree, you'll automatically think of me."

And Damon felt his jaw drop to the ground again. He was pretty damn sure the chill of the air was getting to Elena because there was no way in hell she'd just uttered the words he thought he heard.

But then she nodded her head with an adorable smile brightening her features, and declared, "You heard me correctly."

And if his heart could beat, he swore it would have stutter started in his chest right then and there. Because she was gazing at him with a form of adoration he was unaccustomed to and the concept was almost surreal. It was like he entered into a dream he'd fantasized about repeatedly over the past two years. But it wasn't a dream at all, it was reality, a marvelous reality, and before he could help himself, he admitted the first words that came to his mind. "I don't need a tree for that. You're always the first thing I think about."

They'd left his lips with an airy consistency Elena wasn't sure he was capable of producing, but it gave her the courage to take two steps and place herself directly in front of him. She was close enough to inhale his exhale and, for just a second, she savored the taste as it entered her mouth. Then she closed her lashes and inched her face forward, waiting for his lips to meet hers, when she felt something cold and wet fall on top of her head.

"What the hell?" she gasped as her eyes popped open, just in time to see Damon's follow the trajectory of something.

He laughed hysterically, as though their little interruption was the most amusing thing and not some utter disappointment like she viewed it. He was keeled over and through laughs, he managed to get out, "A bird landed on the tree and knocked some of the snow off - I swear it wasn't me, Elena."

She wiped the liquid from the side of her face and shot him a heated look. She acknowledged that the image of her drenched face had to of been an amusing sight, but rationalized that if she was wet, then he should be too.

Damon's hands were on her knees, when Elena balled up some of the fresh snow and chucked it in his direction. It collided with the raven strands atop his head and made a loud thwacking noise. His laughter abruptly stopped as he titled his head to look at her through slitted eyes.

If it were anyone else, she would have been nervous, but this was Damon, and instead chuckled at his obvious rage.

"You're gonna regret that," he growled out as his hand dipped to claim a mound of snow.

"Am I?" she teased with a quick, taunting wiggle of her brows.

"Definitely," he replied with a sinister smirk slashed across his lips.

He'd just stretched his throwing arm back and prepared to launch a pile of snow in her direction, when Elena held up her hands and stressed, "You can only use human speed, though. Otherwise it won't be fair."

"You can't institute rules now, you've already started the snowball fight," he tried to justify as another mound of snow made impact with his face.

He heard Elena's giggles and soft footsteps as she took off between a row of evergreens. But he was by her side in an instant, just in time to drop a clump of snow right on top of her pretty little head.

The snow was light and fresh, but as it dripped down the side of Elena's face and melted on impact, it sent a tremble through her body. She was absolutely freezing and instantly her muscles started to tighten and her teeth rattled together.

Damon's eyes were no longer competitive and instead filled with remorseful concern as he brushed the snow and liquid from her face. Her cheeks and nose were inflamed from the cold and all he could concentrate on was warming her up. So much so, that he didn't even notice his hand had drifted between the center of her breasts to wipe away a trail of cold water.

It was then he froze, completely aware of where he'd landed and his eyes wavered up to meet hers.

"Damon," she breathed. It was supposed to come out as a warning, but ending up sounding more like a plea than anything else.

Elena's teeth chattered together, the only sound in the otherwise silent mountaintop, as she remained frozen in place. Damon's eyes penetrated into hers. They'd darkened a bit signifying where his mind had traveled, but even with the adjusted hue, the blue shined brighter than anything in their white surrounding. His fingertips felt like warm coal as they hovered slightly below the top of her coat and suddenly the cold atmosphere was the furthest from Elena's mind.

They both remained in that state for a few seconds, the moment of suspension somehow expanding into what felt like an unrealistic stretch of time. And Elena suddenly found herself nervous, because she'd rethought this moment in her head a million times. They'd been in this position many instances before, but her body had never reacted like this.

Her eyes briefly drifted to his lips, wondering how they'd taste and feel once they collided with hers. But her questions were answered when Damon suddenly closed the space separating them, ending the painfully long moment.

She gasped at the sudden impact, which allowed Damon the perfect opportunity to slide his tongue through her teeth. It met with hers and they spiraled together in unison. She was the perfect partner for this dance, he'd always known that.

Elena moaned and molded her body into his. His right hand had slid to the small of her back, pressing and pulling her into him, while his left slid up behind her neck and into her locks. She was fairly certain he'd made a general mess of her hair, but she honestly couldn't care less, because she'd fallen completely into the moment.

He tasted like sugar and spice, certainly everything nice, and she was having a hard time getting enough of him. As her hand wrapped around the back of his neck, she pulled him further into the moment and deeper down her throat. And when she found herself losing control, she bit down on his lower lip to regain a bit she'd lost.

He growled as her teeth sunk into his lips, feeling his shaft pop to life, desperately trying to break free of his jeans. Elena felt it immediately and he was shocked as her fingers trailed to his waistline and circled around towards the area. It was then he felt her fingertips slide under the waistline of his jeans and tease the tip.

"You'd better not start something you're not prepared to finished," he groaned into her mouth between wet kisses.

"Oh, I plan on finishing," she breathed out as her hand lowered and clenched tightly around his shaft. Her warm fingers started inching up and down his length, feeling his hips aid in her movement as she did, when his tongue slipped away from her mouth.

She groaned from the lack of contact, only to feel it slide along her jawline. She continued working her hand as his tongue made its way to the base of her ear, leaving a hot trail in its wake. His fangs were out and with each sudden movement, she felt her body ignite in lust just a little bit more. Every section he touched, felt like it had been previously drenched in gasoline, just waiting for his spark.

Because she was immersed in the heat he supplied her body; their atmosphere no longer an issue. She felt it in the base of her belly, on the top layers of her skin, and most certainly between her thighs. They were trembling now as one of his hands inched between them and stroked against her jeans. She arched forward a bit, begging him for more contact, when she felt the rush of air signifying a position change.

Her back was on the ground now with his arm behind her head so she wasn't touching the snow. It didn't matter if she was because a sheen of sweat had already spread over her skin from their intimate actions. She felt like she'd stepped into Dante's inferno as her hand fell out of Damon's jeans and his slipped under her coat.

And as his luscious lips lowered to once again capture hers, his fingers slowly tip toed their way to the peaks of breasts. He teased the tip of her nipple, sending a pulse of liquid lust between her thighs, before ultimately capturing the entire thing in the palm of his hand.

He caressed the area and his tongue explored the warm cavern inside of her mouth, before paying proper homage to her other breast. With each squeeze and motion of his fingers, Elena felt her hips rise just a bit further, aching for the contact she was really craving.

She rubbed her center against him and once again felt the wind rush through her hair. When she opened her eyes this time, she was on top; straddling him with a leg on each side. Her jeans had been stripped down to her ankles and so had his. Damon's eyes were dark, purple spider web veins streaked from his irises, and his fangs dipped just below his upper lip. He was breathtaking and she shivered at the sight, but not because she was cold, she was the absolute furthest from cold.

Her skin tingled in anticipation as she lowered herself just far enough to feel the tip of his dick make contact with her sensitive skin. She swirled her hips around, loving the way her center scorched with hunger, before Damon grasped onto her hips and pushed her down.

She released a gasp as he filled her insides and momentarily paused to absorb all of him into her center. He let out an impatient groan and lifted himself into a sitting position so his fangs could play with the delicate skin of her neck while she adjusted herself to fit him. And after a long second, she finally managed to shift her hips back and forth.

His fangs traced up her carotid artery as she rocked her body in rhythmic fashion. Her breaths were coming out in gasps when Damon gripped on and white knuckled the sides of her hip, aiding her motions. He quickly slid himself in and out of her center, evoking a pleasure filled moan each time, until she started screaming his name.

She was sure she'd screamed a few other inaudible things, but his name was the only thing that registered. And when she felt her heart start thumping erratically in her chest and her toes curl inward, she panted, "I want you to come with me."

"Not a problem," he purred against the skin of her ear as her back landed on an evergreen. She was fairly certain it was the one she'd chosen to cut down and take home, but honestly she could have given a rat's ass about the tree at this point. Because Damon was slamming into her, stroking her inner walls like the celestial god he was and she was seconds away from release.

Her nails dug into the cotton of his t-shirt and she faintly felt skin as her legs wrapped around his torso. She arched her body backwards and let her head fall against the bristle of the tree, allowing Damon to hit her special spot. And as he hit it in masterfully successional strokes, she released a moan into the air.

Elena's first orgasm was right around the corner and she did her best to hold it off, but within seconds it ripped through her, sending her body in a euphoric spasm of bliss. Her walls clamped down around his member as Damon continued to pump in and out of her core, but it only took a few seconds for him to join her.

His lips latched on to her swollen ones as they rode the waves in unison. She tasted absolutely amazing as her tongue danced with his and her breath blasted the back of his throat. Elena was panting wildly now, obviously doing her best to catch her breath after their heated session, and he couldn't resist the smile that spread over hips lips.

Because this had happened. He'd finally claimed Elena as his own and he couldn't have been more thrilled about it. But her body was trembling against his and although the weather wasn't as issue for him, it was obvious an issue for her.

So he pulled out, hating the feeling already of leaving the confinements of her casing, and zipped up his pants. Then he wrapped her coat around her shaking body and rubbed her arms in an attempt to create as much warming friction as possible.

It was then she looked up and smiled at him, the same adoration from before radiating from her eyes, as she assured, "You don't have to worry. I'm not cold anymore. You took care of that."

She then pressed her lips against his and although the act was tender this time instead of rough like the last, it was still consumed with passion. And when she finally managed to pull herself away, she noticed Damon's eyes drift towards the tree.

"I'm sorry about the tree," he apologized softly, "I got a bit carried away."

But she scrunched up her nose and felt the shrug roll through her shoulders. She then cocked her head and justified, "That's okay, I already got a better tradition than what I came here for," as her arms slipped around his back and she nuzzled herself into him.

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